Jeffrey A. Townes (born January 22, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), al… Read Full Bio ↴Jeffrey A. Townes (born January 22, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and turntablist. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. DJ Jazzy Jeff graduated from John Bartram High School in Philadelphia where he is enshrined in the school's "Wall of Fame".

History

When he was growing up, he found that listening to his parents was unbearable. He got a job as a newspaper boy at age 7 to support his family. Once he grew up, he developed a reputation and following as a school and block party DJ extraordinaire, Jazzy Jeff was the feature of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. As a duo, they had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap Grammy ever presented in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand. When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named "Jazz", Smith's best friend on the show. The two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back/snap with both characters saying "Pssh!").

Jazz' trademarks include being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (James Avery), screaming as he went flying out the front door. This was referenced in the song "N.Y, N.Y." by Lloyd Banks from his second album Rotten Apple, with the lyric "I throw a bitch out the crib like Jazzy Jeff". [1]

DJ Jazzy Jeff is not to be confused with Jeffrey Myree from the earlier hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, which in fact filed and won a lawsuit over the name Jazzy Jeff against Jeff Townes and Jive records when they signed DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. After DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke up, Townes went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer, establishing the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia. Among the artists that Jazzy Jeff has helped develop are Jill Scott and Musiq. Even though he separated from Will Smith as music partners, they are still best friends and still occasionally work together. Some songs by Will Smith were produced by Jeff Townes (Ex. Here He Comes), and he has performed on some songs by Will Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas". In addition, he appears in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K", "Freakin' It", and "Party Starter". On some occasions, he makes appearances with Smith on live concerts, producing DJ scratches.

He, along with DJ Cash Money, is credited with making the transform scratch famous.

On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Will Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. In the past, Will has performed on concerts with DJ Jazzy Jeff for the scratches. Moreover, Will acknowledges him in his music like "Comin' To The Stage" from the album Lost & Found or "Potnas" in his album Willennium.

His 2007 release TROTM (The Return of the Magnificent) is a classic work which returns to the roots of hip-hop with a neo-soul mixture included. This album featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Peedi Crakk (a remake of Brand New Funk), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn.

In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in the video DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Fest directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest and they reveal that they are working on an album together called "I'm the DJ, I'm the Rapper".

Discography

Solo work as DJ Jazzy Jeff

* Unreleased album from Sony Records (1998)
* One cut in Battle of DJs
* The Magnificent (2002)
* Soulheaven Presents Jazzy Jeff in the House (2004)
* The Soul Mixtape Groovin' Records USA (2005)
* Hip-Hop Forever II Rapster Records (2004)
* Hip-Hop Forever III BBE Records (2006)
* The Return of The Magnificent EP (2007)
* The Return of the Magnificent (2007)
* The Return of Hip Hop EP (2007)

As DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

* Rock the House (1987) #83 US (Gold)
* He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988) #4 US (3x Platinum)
* And in This Corner… (1989) #39 US (Gold)
* Homebase (1991) #12 US (Platinum)
* Code Red (1993) #64 US (Gold)
* Greatest Hits (1998) #144 US, #20 UK
* Before The Willennium (1999)
* The Very Best of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (2006)

Miscellaneous

* 1991 - Deep, Deep, Trouble with Bart Simpson and the remixes; from The Simpsons Sing the Blues
* 1997 - Jazzy Jeff's Theme; from the album Nuyorican Soul
* 1998 - "When To Stand Up" featuring Eminem
* 1998 - I Don't Know by Slum Village (scratches); from the album Fantastic, Vol. 2
* 1999 - The Next Movement by The Roots (scratches); from the album Things Fall Apart
* 2004 - Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Full Sole Remix) by Everything But The Girl; from Adapt or Die: 10 Years of Remixes
* 2005 - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kuzma Solefull Mix) by the Temptations; from Motown Remixed.
* 2005 - Lost & Found by Will Smith; produced intro song Here He Comes and several DJ scratches on several tracks
* 2005 - The Minstrel Show by Little Brother; Scratches on the song Watch Me.
* 2006 - Feel It (Jazzy Jeff Soulful Remix) by the Black Eyed Peas; from Renegotiations: The Remixes
* 2006 - Night in Tunisia (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix) by Duke Jordan
* 2007 - Ear Drum by Talib Kweli; Scratches on song NY Weather Report.
* 2008 - Get Busy by The Roots (scratches); from the album Rising Down.

Shake It Off
DJ Jazzy Jeff Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
I gotta shake you off
'Cause the loving ain't the same
And you keep on playing games
Like you know I'm here to stay
I gotta shake it off
Just like the Calgon commercial
I really gotta get up outta here

And go somewhere
I gotta shake it off
Gotta make that move
Find somebody who
Appreciates all the love I give
Boy I gotta shake it off
Gotta do what's best for me
Baby and that means I gotta
Shake you off

By the time you get this message
It's gonna be too late
So don't bother paging me
Cause I'll be on my way
See I grabbed all my diamonds and clothes
Just ask your momma she knows
You're gonna miss me baby
Hate to say "I told you so"
Well at first I didn't know
But now it's clear to me
You would cheat with all your freaks
And lie compulsively
So I packed up my Louis Vuitton
Jumped in your ride and took off
You'll never ever find a girl
Who loves you more than me

[Chorus]

I gotta, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
Off, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
(Gotta shake it off) off, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake it off, shake, shake, shake, shake,shake it off

I found out about a gang
Of your dirty little deeds
With this one and that one
By the pool, on the beach, in the streets
Heard y'all was
Hold up my phone's breakin' up
I'ma hang up and call the machine right back
I gotta get this off of my mind
You wasn't worth my time
so I'm leaving you behind
Cause I need a real love in my life
Save this recording because
I'm never coming back home
Baby I'm gone
Don't cha know

[Chorus]

I gotta, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
Off, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
(Gotta shake it off) off, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake it off, shake, shake, shake, shake,shake it off

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The chorus of DJ Jazzy Jeff Feat. Chef Word's song Shake It Off talks about leaving someone who doesn't appreciate the love that is being given to them. The singer acknowledges that the person they are leaving plays games and knows that they are there to stay, but they have to shake off the love that isn't the same anymore. The reference to the Calgon commercial alludes to the need to get away and have a fresh start. The singer is determined to make a move and find somebody who appreciates the love they give. The chorus reaffirms the need to shake off the relationship for better opportunities.

In the first verse, the singer reveals that they are leaving and that it is too late to turn back. They took all their valuables and realized that the past lover cheated on them. It is an "I told you so" moment for the singer since they were uncertain initially. The second verse talks about finding out about the lover's dirty deeds with other people while the singer was in the picture. The singer decides to leave behind the past and start anew because they need a real love in their life.

Line by Line Meaning

I gotta shake you off
I need to let go of you and move on from this relationship.

'Cause the loving ain't the same
Our relationship has changed, and I don't feel the same love as before.

And you keep on playing games
You're not serious about our relationship and are playing games.

Like you know I'm here to stay
You take me for granted and think I'll always be here for you.

I gotta shake it off
I need to let go of this feeling and move on with my life.

Just like the Calgon commercial
Like how Calgon helps you escape and relax, I need to escape this relationship and move on.

I really gotta get up outta here
I need to leave this relationship and move on with my life.

And go somewhere
I need to find a new place in my life where I can be happy and fulfilled.

I gotta shake it off
I need to let go of the past and start fresh.

Gotta make that move
I need to take action and move on from this relationship.

Find somebody who
I need to find someone who understands and appreciates me for who I am.

Appreciates all the love I give
I need to find someone who values and reciprocates the love and effort I put into the relationship.

Boy, I gotta shake it off
I need to let go of this relationship and move on as a strong and independent person.

Gotta do what's best for me
I need to prioritize my own happiness and well-being by ending this relationship.

Baby, and that means I gotta
For my own benefit, I need to let go of this relationship and move on.

Shake you off
I need to break up with you and move on from this relationship for good.

By the time you get this message
By the time you hear this, it will be too late for us to fix our relationship.

It's gonna be too late
It's too late for us to try and fix our relationship.

So don't bother paging me
Don't try to reach out to me because we're done for good.

'Cause I'll be on my way
I'll be moving on with my life and leaving this relationship behind.

See I grabbed all my diamonds and clothes
I'm taking all of my belongings and leaving you behind.

Just ask your momma she knows
Even your mother knows that I'm done with you and moving on.

You're gonna miss me baby
You'll realize what you lost and regret taking me for granted.

Hate to say "I told you so"
Even though it hurts me to see you suffer, I warned you that this would happen.

Well at first I didn't know
At first, I was uncertain about our relationship.

But now it's clear to me
Now I understand that this relationship isn't good for me and needs to end.

You would cheat with all your freaks
You've been unfaithful and disloyal to our relationship with other women.

And lie compulsively
You've been lying to me repeatedly throughout our relationship.

So I packed up my Louis Vuitton
I took all of my designer belongings and left you behind.

Jumped in your ride and took off
I left in your car without looking back.

You'll never ever find a girl
You won't find another girl who will love you as much as I did.

Who loves you more than me
I was the one who loved you the most, and now I'm gone for good.

I found out about a gang
I discovered that you've been fooling around with multiple women.

Of your dirty little deeds
You've been engaging in shady and dishonest activities.

With this one and that one
You've been seeing multiple women behind my back.

By the pool, on the beach, in the streets
You've been cheating on me in various public places.

Heard y'all was
I've heard rumors about you and other women.

Hold up my phone's breakin' up
I'm losing reception and need to call you back.

I'ma hang up and call the machine right back
I'll call back and leave a message on your voicemail because I don't want to talk to you anymore.

I gotta get this off of my mind
I need to move on from this relationship and clear my head.

You wasn't worth my time
You're not the right person for me and I'm moving on with my life.

So I'm leaving you behind
I'm breaking up with you and moving on from this relationship.

Cause I need a real love in my life
I need to find real love and happiness in my life, and it's not with you.

Save this recording because
Keep this message because it's the last you'll ever hear from me.

I'm never coming back home
I'm starting a new life without you and will never return to our old home.

Baby, I'm gone
I'm done with this relationship and moving on to a better life without you.

Don't cha know
You should have known that our relationship was over and I was leaving you behind.

I gotta, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
I need to shake off this relationship and move on with my life.

Off, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it
I need to let go of this relationship and find a new direction in my life.

(Gotta shake it off) off, shake, shake, shake, shake,
I need to leave this relationship behind and start fresh with a new perspective.

Shake it off, shake, shake, shake, shake,shake it off
I need to shake off the negative energy of this relationship and start anew.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Mariah Carey, Johnta Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS